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Bright Night
10 February 2018

Bright Night

In 2012, astronauts from the European Space Agency installed an experimental camera on the International Space Station (ISS). NightPod adjusts for the movement of the ISS relative to Earth, taking clear shots of entire cities at night – like Milan, here. Like many cities, LED lights (white) are spreading out to replace traditional halogen lighting (yellow). LEDs are more efficient, so the swap should reduce worldwide energy consumption. Yet researchers believe LEDs are being left on for longer – the ‘radiance’ of the Earth’s surface is increasing, not decreasing. Piercing blue light, which makes LEDs glow white, surrounds some cities 24 hours a day. In addition to confusing wildfire and annoying stargazers, relentless light can disrupt the human circadian rhythm, increasing the risk of diseases like breast cancer. Researchers hope that future NightPod images will show signs of people remembering to switch off at the end of the day.

Written by John Ankers

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What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.